Fly Pudding
by Al Kristopher
Summary: Nida x Fujin, yay! The happy couple take a walk outside Balamb, but run into a group of enemies that turn poor Nida into a FROG! Fujin is left to find a cure, but what if she couldn't find a Maiden's Kiss? Would she have to do the honors...herself?


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Fly Pudding

A Nida + Fujin Romantic Comedy by Al Kristopher

Without a class to teach or a world to save, Nida Franks discovered he had a lot of time on his hands. He stretched his arms out to the sky, leaning back so much that he almost fell over in his chair. It was a lazy, pretty day, the kind that made him want to take a walk with a special someone. As he noticed a few bullies gathering around a helpless young man somewhere nearby, he knew for sure that this special someone would be stopping by very shortly.

Before the bullies could humiliate their target very much, a loud voice froze them in their tracks. "BACK OFF, TOADS!!!" The boys stopped and gawked in horror as they saw a ghastly woman running towards them. A few were able to scatter, but some were too slow and got caught by the woman. She grabbed them, both of them, by the scruff of their collar and held on tight.

"DETENTION!" she roared, issuing the horrible judgment. She shoved the boys away fiercely, and gave them a devilish glare that told them she meant business. "…OR ELSE," she added firmly, and this scattered the boys straight to the prison, which might've been easier to bear than the wrath of the woman. She parted her hair coolly and turned around to give the poor kid a motherly smile.

"Undamaged?" she asked. The boy sighed and picked himself up off the ground.

"Yeah… so we meet again, Miss K. You know, it's funny you saved me now. I was just on my way to Mr. D's class." The woman nodded her head and tapped her chest with her fingers.

"Self-defense important. Won't be hero forever. Take care." The boy waved shyly and limped out of the cafeteria, leaving his savior behind. She sighed and turned around just in time to see the amused look on her boyfriend's face.

"You're such a sweetheart," sang Nida. Fujin rolled the only eye she could and ambled over to sit across him. She gave the guy a quick kiss on the forehead before sitting.

"Hard being hero. Glad he's trying. Important… to stand up."

"In more ways than one," replied Franks as he sucked up the last of his soda. He grinned at his girlfriend Fujin, who was probably still agitated from a day of capturing truants and saving the helpless. She definitely showed it through her body language: she crossed her arms and stared at the floor. Nida could've sensed the antagonism in a dark room.

"You all right?"

"Need hot bath."

"I hear that. Mind if I join?"

"Yes," she sighed wearily. "Privacy important." Nida gave a cute pout.

"No fair. How about a walk outside, huh? It's a beautiful day and we need the exercise. C'mon, we haven't taken a walk together in weeks."

"Cold," was Fujin's excuse. Nida snorted.

"So? Um, Fujin, they have these things that can help people avoid something like that. They're called coats." Fujin actually looked like she had never heard of the things, but she was really just trying to humor her boyfriend.

"Oh. Share a big one?" she asked with a warm grin. Nida blushed and felt his throat tightening as he fantasized about how that would feel. Already he could see Fujin giving him a sweet smile as she held a big brown coat over their heads.

"Yeah, but… it's not that cold. Let's take a walk. Look, you're already dressed for warm weather, and it won't stay chilly forever. C'mon, let's go." He gave Fujin a smile that could not be resisted, and helped the woman stand as he extended his arm.

"Such a sucker," muttered Fujin as she took her boyfriend's arm. Nida chuckled and put his arm around the pale girl's waist. Far be it from either of them to misuse a beautiful, uneventful day like the one they were living in at that moment.

After leaving the sleepy Balamb ("Praise Hyne for Saturdays, eh?" Nida had said with a smile), the only obstacle that stood in the way of the two was wind. Nida smiled and breathed in the mountain air. It was a light mixture of snowy rocks, the rich forests, a trace of cooked magma from the Fire Cave, and the salty waters of the ocean that embraced the island. Fujin tilted her head and smiled as well, successfully making herself look quite serene. Nida leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"You're beautiful."

"Day's pretty," added Fujin with a gesture. She grinned and gave Nida a warm stare, the kind of ruby-red gaze that made the handsome young man melt, and walked away from the Garden with her fingers gently entwined with her boyfriend's. The touch was sweet, symbolic, and slightly erotic. Since discovering each other in the seas of cruelty and joy, they had not gotten very intimate and yet knew more intimacy with simple stares, smiles, and touches than many other couples who had attained the level of One Flesh.

As Nida observed, the day was as beautiful as the silvery-haired maiden walking next to him. As Fujin observed, it was also quite a cold day, where the sky was a pale, milky color, which meant that some nasty weather would probably come out. But the sky itself, thought Nida, also had its own beauty, just as she did.

Fujin let out a soft moan and rested her head on Nida's shoulder. They had wound through grasses and passed a rare tree or two that didn't belong to the forest, and looked to be coming towards the ocean slowly. Nida welcomed the added weight on his shoulder and put his arm around the woman's neck, tickling and scratching as he ran his fingers through the pale girl's hair. He could come up with a thousand ways to have an erotic or intimate moment with his girlfriend without taking off a shred of clothing (although Fujin did love rubbing his weary feet).

"Tu sens bon, mi amore," whispered the pale lady, kissing Nida's neck. He chuckled.

"You think so? I'm not wearing anything special."

"Natural smell. Like pines. Fresh." Nida smiled and turned his head just slightly so he could kiss Fujin's temple.

"Thanks. How do you say 'you taste good'?"

"Not telling."

"Why?"

"No reason." Fujin lifted her head and gave Nida a catty grin, clasping both his hands softly. Nida's face flushed just slightly as Fujin pulled herself close, fingers still locked in a clasp, and teasingly kissed the area just millimeters away from his lips. She drew away slowly, making Nida's heart melt in the chilly air as she gazed back with a single loving eye of gentlest red. Her face was pale yet it glowed with love.

"…Don't start," whispered Nida with a playful warning. Fujin tilted her head.

"Why?"

"I'll be tempted to do very naughty things."

"Bad boy," she whispered in a mock scold. Nida suppressed a laugh and drew in Fujin for a hug and a kiss--a _real_ one, where neither of them bothered to tease the other.

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Gribbit!

"Fujin, was that you?" blurted Nida as he drew away from his girlfriend. The lady's fair face was still flushed as she denied it.

"No. Digestion good. Not you?"

"Wasn't me." The two of them turned around, arms still around each other's necks, as they saw a trio of frogs sitting there. The frogs let their neck sacs bulge out with a croak, and stood on their hind legs as they prepared to fight the two who had invaded their territory. Both man and woman rolled their eyes (or eye).

"Enemy frogs," murmured Fujin in annoyance. They reluctantly broke their embrace and went into battle formation. The frogs couldn't hurt either of them to save their lives, but they could inflict nasty ailments on them such as poison, confusion, or worse. Nida jumped out quickly, aimed his gun to the ground, and blasted it on the head of the closest frog, knocking it back where it stayed, unmoving. Fujin, irritated that their date had been interrupted (and by _frogs_, no less), let loose her Chakran and neatly cleaved another frog in half. Nida began to wonder if he could give any of the amphibians to Dr. Mellock for biology class.

The last frog standing (or hopping, as it were) jumped after Nida and slammed itself into his face. He screamed and tried to pry it off, but a cloud of greenish gas covered him up. Fujin covered her face from the smog and waited until everything settled. She saw the frog hopping away, croaking triumphantly as it completed some vile mission, and cut it in two before it could brag to its friends. With nothing to gain except for an unnoticeable increase in strength and battle experience, Fujin wiped the silver hair out of her face and searched for Nida.

"Nida! Location! Nida, okay? Nida! ……Nee-chan?" She blushed as she used her boyfriend's pet name (she rarely did that even to those she was close to), crossed her arms, and squinted her eyes as the green fog cleared. When the barrier of wind picked up and blew it away, Fujin's only working eye widened so much that it looked like a strawberry.

Standing where Nida used to be was a frog.

Actually, Nida _was_ still technically there.

He had just been turned _into_ the frog. Fujin cursed.

"…Nida?" she whispered as she picked the creature up. The frog croaked sadly and bounced slightly in her hands. It lowered its green face and nudged her hand on a spot that Nida usually touched (in their quietest and greatest moments of intimacy), and Fujin knew then that her beloved boyfriend had become a frog. The poor girl could only stare in shock before a sigh was finally set free.

"Setback," she grumbled as she placed the frog on her shoulder. "Patience. Give you Maiden's Kiss." Everyone and their dog (which did include Fujin) knew that the best way to cure the ailment of being turned into a frog was the Maiden's Kiss, but Fujin didn't have any to spare since she didn't usually travel (and besides, it would be silly to prepare for such a thing when going for a simple walk). And so, with nothing to help her beloved boyfriend out, Fujin sighed wearily and turned around, back towards Balamb.

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People brought live frogs into Balamb every now and then, usually as pets or for science, but seeing Fujin carrying one on her shoulders was a little weird. She couldn't help but notice the stares she was getting as she walked through the Garden, but chose to ignore them since it wasn't worth her trouble to scowl. She vaguely remembered somebody in the Garden selling Maiden's Kisses, but that had been in a time and place which Fujin couldn't remember.

As she wandered around, she came across one of the few people she considered a friend of hers. Rinoa Heartilly had been a part of Seifer's posse once, about two years ago, but she drifted away and found herself in the embrace of Dollet and Deling City--and later, Squall Leonhart. Fujin hadn't spoken much with the pretty lady since then, but she still considered her a friend. Rinoa greeted her old acquaintance with a friendly wave and smile before she inquired about the obvious.

"Fujin, is that a _frog_?" she giggled. Fujin rolled her eye and nodded her head.

"Yes, frog."

"I've never seen you take an interest in frogs before! Is she a pet?"

"He."

"Oh. Well, is he a pet? Y'know, he's kinda cute." Rinoa smiled and traced her finger along the back of the frog, smiling with wonder as she petted it. Fujin couldn't help but wonder what Nida was thinking at that moment. Weird girl.

"Uh… not pet," she said (although sometimes this was not necessarily false). "Friend. Uh, victim. Turned _into_ frog." Rinoa drew back and gave Fujin a look of concern.

"Oh! Oh, that's bad… Do you have a Maiden's Kiss?"

"No. Looking. Have one?" Rinoa frowned and rummaged through her dress, frisking herself in search of the elusive remedy.

"No, I don't usually carry things like that. Somebody was selling them a few days ago, but they moved out of Balamb and went off across the sea. You'll either have to borrow one from somebody else or…… uh… do the honors yourself…" Rinoa trailed off nervously, piquing Fujin's curiosity.

"…Honors?" Rinoa blushed and stammered.

"Yeah, you know. …Kiss it. It'll work if a woman kisses it. Don't ask me why; that's just how it goes."

Fujin grimaced.

"Oh, don't tell me you've never heard the story of how the beautiful princess kisses the frog and it turns it into a handsome prince??" Fujin shrugged.

"Not prince. Nida."

Rinoa's brown eyes widened so much that they could've been buckeyes.

"Whoa! That's _Nida??!_"

"Yes," sighed Fujin wearily. Rinoa gawked.

"Uh… oh, wow… Well, uh, I definitely couldn't tell! But hey, since he's your boyfriend, it'll be easier for you! Go ahead, give him a big wet one!"

"LUDICROUS!" Fujin's scream sent Rinoa jerking back a bit.

"Whoa! Okay, uh, you don't have to scream. I mean, is it really a problem?"

"Not kissing a _frog!_" she yelled. Rinoa frowned.

"Oh. But it's Nida! I mean, what's the difference?" Seeing as how she really wouldn't win against Rinoa, Fujin rolled her eye and puffed out an angry sigh.

"Never mind. Sorry to bother. See again--with Nida restored." She then walked away, with the frog back on her shoulder croaking farewell. Rinoa didn't know what to do, so she just shrugged and waved.

"Um, well, okay… uh, see you later, Fu."

Sigh. Fujin hated waiting longer than necessary. The elevator was being slow on _purpose_. Nida gave a soft croak and fidgeted impatiently on his girlfriend's shoulder. Fujin smiled sadly as she petted the poor creature.

"Sorry. Won't be long."

_Ping!_

"Slow elevator." Fujin cursed the device and pressed the 3rd floor button. She blew out a sigh and rested on the wall of the elevator as she waited for it to go up two floors. She had an idea, but it would take a true friend to pull it off. Fujin couldn't bear to kiss Nida while he was a frog unless she had no other choice, but she knew of one woman who might: Nida's ex-girlfriend (and still close friend, even after all that time), Xu Xiang. The elevator door opened shortly and Fujin found herself and Frog Nida on the third floor, watching as Xu spoke quietly with Quistis.

"Oh, hi Fujin," said Xu with a wave. Fujin nodded her head and walked towards the older woman, hoping she still loved Nida enough to go through something as weird as kissing a frog version of him.

"Talk briefly?" she asked. Xu put her chat with Quistis on hold and approached Fujin, but jerked away in disgust as she saw the frog perched on her shoulder.

"Ugh! Fujin, could you please take that thing away? I'm getting sick already."

"Not thing," she insisted. "Person turned into a frog. Went out for walk, fought enemies, results. Have Maiden's Kiss?"

"Sorry," said Xu with a watery grin. "Quistis had the last one. We feel your pain; she and I had to use hers on someone else. I don't think anyone else in Balamb has one. I mean, there really isn't a use for them since we rarely get those kinds of frogs on our shores. Who is it?" Fujin pursed her lips, and even though it would shock them both, she just decided to tell them cold turkey.

"Nida."

"You're kidding!" blurted Quistis. She gawked and walked right up to the frog, peering at it closely as only she could. She looked at Fujin and shrugged. "It doesn't look a thing like him." Fujin merely gave her a shrug.

"I'm sorry we can't be of any help to… uh, you two," sighed Xu sadly.

"Could kiss him."

"I really can't," she grimaced. Fujin frowned.

"Used to be his girlfriend!!"

"I know, but… it's not that. If he were anything but a frog, I wouldn't mind. Uh, I mean, I know you two like each other now, but… um… I really can't."

"Don't like frogs?"

"Not really," she murmured weakly. "I'm allergic to them. They make me break out and I get really nauseous. I'm getting a little ill just looking at it. Sorry." Fujin did notice that Xu was a little more pale than usual, so she just shrugged.

"Sorry for interrupting. Um… suggestions?" Xu shook her head as she came up with nothing, but Quistis seemed to have an idea.

"You could ask Selphie," she suggested. "Irvine gave her a pet frog and she's kept it pretty well. I don't know if that would help or not, but it's worth a try." Fujin smiled with relief at the older lady and gave her a wave of thanks as she descended back down the elevator and resumed her quest. Once both Fujin and Frog Nida were gone, Xu whistled in relief and wiped her forehead.

"Whew… that really sucks. I'd hate to think of what would happen if _I_ became a frog."

"Yes…" Quistis trailed off, paused, and suddenly did a double-take as she realized what she had overheard. "Wait a minute! You and Nida were an _item_ once??"

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"His name is Sir Glenn the Frog," announced Selphie proudly as she hoisted the little green guy up for Fujin to see. The pale lady sneered and politely declined the introduction. Selphie grinned and put Sir Glenn next to a small bowl of what looked like vanilla pudding with raisins. Sir Glenn dug in and lapped the stuff up hungrily.

"What's that?" pointed the pale woman. Selphie looked over and watched her frog eat.

"Oh, uh, a little something I threw together. I wanted to make something that would get rid of all the flies that come in here for the summer, so I made a sugary treat and set it out somewhere. The next day, I had all these dead flies in there, so I guess I succeeded. Don't worry, it's just harmless pudding, but I made it real sticky so the flies wouldn't be able to move. Hey! Haven't you eaten enough, you pig of a frog?!" Selphie quickly plucked the hungry Sir Glenn up from his snack and placed him back in his terrarium. She gave Fujin her usual perky smile and tilted her head.

"So anyway, why did you want to see my frog for? I always thought you hated them."

"…Mostly," she murmured. Fujin bashfully revealed the frog that was once Nida to Selphie, who crowed over it as if it were actually cute. Fujin really didn't like frogs.

"Aww, she's so cute! What's her name?"

"He."

"Whoops, sorry. Uh, what's his name?" Cold turkey once again. Selphie might've taken it better anyway. Fujin broke the news to her as Selphie fed the frog some of the sugary goo she had made.

"Nida."

"You named him after _Nida?_" giggled the little sunflower. Selphie's eyes danced as her laugh tickled the air. "That's so cute and romantic! But he doesn't look a thing like him! Hey, does he have a frog named _Fujin_??"

"Misunderstanding," sighed Fujin wearily as she shook her head. She placed her pale hand on the frog's back, picking it up from the table and holding it in her hands as she emphasized, "Frog _is_ Nida."

"No _way!_" exclaimed Tilmitt. "You mean our Nee-chan got turned into a frog?! Jeez, what a mega bummer! I always thought that Balamb Island didn't have creatures that could turn people into frogs!" Fujin gave a "Maybe, but they do now" kind of shrug and asked if Selphie could help.

"Well… I don't have any items that can cure Toad, and I'm trying not to use my GF as much these days, so no magic either. Have you tried kissing it?"

"Not kissing a frog," snorted Fujin. Selphie gave her an almost irresistible smile.

"Aww, _come on!_ The beautiful princess has to kiss the frog if she wants the handsome prince to return to his natural form! Come on, do it for Nida!"

"You can't?" Selphie smiled and shook her head.

"Nuh-uh. I like Nida but he's just a friend. If it were Irvine, I'd reconsider. Now there's a handsome prince for ya! Anywhoo, he's your boyfriend, isn't he? Why don't you show him how much you care and just get it over with? One little smooch from a frog won't hurt you, right?" Fujin sighed wearily, but as she looked into the innocent yet wise face of the petite lady staring up at her, she really couldn't disagree. If she wanted to prove her love for Nida, she would have to do things that would probably be uncomfortable.

Kissing frogs certainly wasn't a prerequisite, though. Oh well.

"…No."

"Then go do it!" she exclaimed with a wave. "Go, go! I don't wanna see you two getting all mushy in front of Sir Glenn! Go on, go!" Fujin couldn't help but smile at the smallish lady, so she put her froggy boyfriend back on her shoulder and sought out someplace private. Selphie smiled and made Sir Glenn wave farewell at them both.

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Fujin sighed as she sat down on her bed, carrying the frog that was once a prince in her hand. She stroked the creature's back lovingly, and stared into its bulbous eyes. She had to wonder if Nida was really aware of things while in that condition. Fujin had never been turned into a frog herself, so she really couldn't say. The beautiful pale lady sighed as she steeled herself for the inevitable kiss.

"Sorry for delaying," she apologized as she petted it. "Hate frogs, you know. Any other animal okay. Wonder what you'd look like as a cat?" She smiled and chuckled softly to herself, and with a wish in her heart, she bent over slightly and put her lips to the frog's. It really wasn't _such_ a bad experience, but not one she'd like to duplicate after that. Fujin reminded herself to carry plenty of Maiden's Kisses around with her from that moment on.

Another cloud of green gas clouded over the frog, and as Fujin coughed and wiped it away, her heart sang out with relief as a second cough joined her. She smiled warmly as her beloved boyfriend returned to her in his true form, tall and shapely and very much human. Nida waved away the green gas and glared around for a familiar object. He saw his beloved girlfriend sitting across from him, giving him a dusky smile.

"(Cough) …Fujin?"

"Welcome back, prince," she whispered. Fujin leaned over gently and placed a soft kiss right on her boyfriend's mouth, feeling the warm tenderness of his lips slowly enveloping her own. A bit of her gloss clung to Nida's own mouth as she pulled back and grinned. She liked kissing Human Nida _much_ more than Frog Nida.

"That was nice," admitted the human prince with a blush. "But what was it for? Have I been gone long? And why am I in your room?"

"………Uhh…" The poor dear really didn't know how to break it to Franks. She could speak to Rinoa, Xu, and even Selphie with ease, but her own boyfriend, unless he had been aware of things, wouldn't take it too well. Nida didn't like frogs either.

"A long story?" he guessed, sensing the awkwardness in Fujin's face. The silver-haired maiden smiled sadly and nodded her head. Nida hummed softly and stared down at the bed. "And I probably don't want to know anyway. Ugh, whatever happened, it made me hungry! You mind if I get something to eat?"

"I'll buy," offered Fujin. Nida gave his girlfriend a sweet smile as he placed his hand on her cheek.

"That's sweet of you." Nida leaned forward and completely enveloped Fujin's mouth with a very loving kiss, and held it for quite some time until his stomach took dominance over his heart. They walked back to the cafeteria hand in hand.

As fate saw to it, Selphie Tilmitt was passing by the area, a bowl full of what looked like vanilla pudding with raisins in her hands. She hummed to herself as she made a beeline to her destination, but was stopped as she saw Nida and Fujin walking down the hall. Selphie let out a squeal, and would have hugged her friend if her arms were free. Noticing the bowl, Nida offered to fix the problem.

"That looks really great," he sighed hungrily, "and I'm starving! Selphie, do you mind if I have some of that stuff? I just love raisins."

"Uh, well, um, I mean, if you really _want_ to! I was just gonna wash it out since I don't need it anymore. Uh, here." Selphie awkwardly gave the bowl to Nida, and before she or Fujin could stop him, Franks had already shoveled in a few greedy spoonfuls. Both ladies watched as their friend ate, and couldn't help but become a little pale (well, _more_ pale in Fujin's case). Nida moaned with pleasure, however, as he ate the dish.

"Mm, mm! Oh, yum! Selphie, this stuff is amazing! You've got to give me the recipe! It can't just be vanilla with raisins! What is this, really?"

"…Well… uh, you see…" Speechlessness overcame the poor brunette, who could only stutter and scratch her neck as she stood there awkwardly. Fujin coughed politely and offered to do the job for her.

"Want to know?"

"Yeah! What is this stuff? It's delicious!!" Fujin sighed sickly, and since it had become a new habit of hers, she just decided to tell her boyfriend cold turkey.

"…Fly pudding."

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The End *


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